A Brief Analysis of Construction Methods for Special-Shaped Structural Glass Curtain Walls
In the field of modern architectural design, special-shaped structural glass curtain walls have become a symbolic element of high-end buildings due to their unique artistic expression and space-shaping capabilities. Breaking the regular form of traditional flat curtain walls, special-shaped structural glass curtain walls perfectly integrate the transparent texture of glass with the structural beauty of buildings through diverse shapes such as curves, broken lines, and curved surface combinations. However, their irregular structural form brings many challenges to construction, placing higher requirements on construction technology, precision control, and safety management. Combining practical construction experience, this paper briefly analyzes the construction methods of special-shaped structural glass curtain walls from aspects of pre-construction preparation, core construction procedures, quality control, and safety assurance.
I. Pre-Construction Preparation Work
The complexity of constructing special-shaped structural glass curtain walls determines the criticality of pre-construction preparation, which directly affects the smooth progress of subsequent construction and project quality.
Firstly, precise detailed design of drawings is required. The original design drawings only clarify the overall shape; before construction, it is necessary to refine and split the drawings in combination with the structural characteristics of glass curtain walls and the processing technology of special-shaped glass. Focus on marking the dimensional parameters of special-shaped parts, the splicing nodes of glass panels, the bending radius of keels, and fixing methods. Meanwhile, use BIM technology to build a 3D model, simulate the entire construction process, identify dimensional conflicts, node contradictions, and other problems in the drawings, and ensure the design scheme is constructible.
Secondly, do a good job in the procurement and inspection of special-shaped glass and supporting materials. As a core material, the processing precision of special-shaped glass directly determines the forming effect of the curtain wall. It is necessary to select manufacturers with professional qualifications for special-shaped processing to customize production according to the detailed drawings. Common types of special-shaped glass include curved tempered glass and curved laminated glass. After materials arrive at the construction site, strictly inspect indicators such as the thickness, strength, bending radius, and appearance quality of glass, and verify the specifications and performance of supporting materials such as aluminum alloy keels, connectors, and sealants to ensure all materials meet design and specification requirements.
Finally, establish a sound temporary construction facility and measurement control system. Special-shaped structures have extremely high requirements for measurement precision. An independent measurement control network must be established, and high-precision total stations, laser rangefinders, and other equipment should be used to repeatedly review the axes, elevations of the main building structure, and the reference lines of special-shaped parts, with deviations controlled within the millimeter range. Meanwhile, set up scaffolding or high-altitude operation platforms according to construction needs to ensure the stability and safety of the operation surface and create conditions for subsequent construction.
II. Core Construction Procedures and Technical Points
(I) Keel Installation Engineering
As the load-bearing structure of glass curtain walls, keels are the core to ensuring the stability of special-shaped curtain walls, and their installation quality directly affects the overall structural safety. Keels of special-shaped structures are mostly curved or broken-line shaped, which need to be prefabricated in factories according to detailed drawings in advance to reduce on-site workload and ensure processing precision.
During on-site installation, first fix the column keels according to the reference lines marked by surveying and setting out, and connect them with the embedded parts of the main building structure by welding or bolting. Welded parts must be anti-corrosion treated to prevent corrosion from affecting structural strength in the later stage. For beam keels of curved special-shaped parts, special bending equipment should be used for processing. During installation, adjust the curvature section by section to ensure fit with special-shaped glass, and use temporary fixings for positioning before permanent fixing after overall adjustment is qualified. During installation, real-time monitor the verticality, levelness, and curvature deviation of keels, and make timely corrections to avoid cumulative errors affecting subsequent glass panel installation.
(II) Installation of Special-Shaped Glass Panels
The installation of special-shaped glass panels is a key link in the construction of special-shaped structuralglass curtain walls. It is necessary to strictly follow the principle of overall positioning first and then block-by-block installation to ensure precise splicing and tight sealing of panels.
Before installation, number the special-shaped glass panels and place them one by one corresponding to their positions in the detailed drawings to avoid misinstallation. For heavyspecial-shaped glass panels, use special hoisting equipment and a professional hoisting team. During hoisting, use flexible slings to prevent damage to theglass surface, and control the hoisting speed to avoid collision with keels or the main building.
During panel installation, first apply sealant gaskets on the keels, then slowly place the special-shaped glass panels in the installation position, adjust the levelness, verticality of the panels, and the gap with adjacent panels. The gap size should meet design requirements, generally controlled between 10-15mm. After adjustment, use pressure blocks for temporary fixing to ensure panel stability before subsequent sealing treatment. For complex special-shaped parts such as curves and broken lines, focus on checking the splicing gaps of glass panels to ensure uniform gaps and avoid warping, misalignment, and other problems.
(III) Sealing and Waterproofing Treatment
Sealing and waterproofing is an important link in the construction of glass curtain walls. Especially for special-shaped structures, the irregular gap shape increases sealing difficulty. Improper treatment can easily lead to water leakage, affecting the building's service function.
Before sealing, clean the surface of glass panels and keels to remove dust, oil stains, and debris, ensuring the sealing surface is clean and dry. Use two-component silicone sealant for sealing. Inject the sealant at a uniform speed to ensure it fills the gaps without bubbles or voids. After injection, trim the surface of the sealant joint with special tools to make it smooth and flat, closely fitting with glass and keels. For corners and splices of special-shaped parts, increase the thickness of the sealant and use reinforcing parts for reinforcement if necessary to improve sealing and waterproof performance.
Meanwhile, properly design the drainage system of the curtain wall, and reasonably arrange drainage holes in special-shaped parts to ensure timely drainage of rainwater, avoid water accumulation eroding the sealant and keels, and extend the service life of glass curtain walls.
III. Construction Quality Control Measures
The construction quality of special-shaped structural glass curtain walls is affected by many factors. A full-process quality control system must be established to strictly control the quality of each link.
First, strengthen measurement precision control. Special-shaped structures have extremely high requirements for dimensional accuracy. Repeated measurement and review are required throughout the construction process. From the setting out of the main structure to keel installation and special-shaped glass installation, precision testing must be carried out after the completion of each process. If the deviation exceeds the allowable range, take timely correction measures to ensure the overall construction precision meets design requirements.
Second, strictly control material quality. For core materials such as glass, keels, and sealants, product qualification certificates and performance test reports must be provided upon arrival. Conduct random re-inspection on key indicators such as the bending radius and strength of special-shaped glass. Unqualified materials are prohibited from entering the construction site. Compatibility tests must be carried out on sealants to ensure compatibility with glass, aluminum alloy keels, and other materials, avoiding cracking, peeling, and other problems.
Third, strengthen process quality acceptance. After the completion of each construction process, organize joint acceptance by construction, supervision, design, and other units. The next process can only be carried out after passing the acceptance. Focus on checking the installation strength of keels, the splicing precision of special-shaped glass, and the construction quality of sealants. For problems found in the acceptance, formulate rectification plans and complete the rectification within a time limit to ensure the project quality meets standards.
V. Conclusion
The construction of special-shaped structural glass curtain walls is a systematic project integrating design, processing, installation, and quality control, with much higher construction difficulty than traditional flatglass curtain walls. During construction, it is necessary to do a good job in pre-construction preparation such as detailed drawing design, material inspection, and measurement control, strictly grasp the technical points of core processes such as keel installation, special-shaped glass panel installation, and sealing and waterproofing, and strengthen full-process quality and safety management.
With the continuous development of construction technology, the processing technology ofspecial-shaped glass and curtain wall construction technology are constantly upgrading. In the future, it is necessary to further explore more efficient and precise construction methods, combine digital and intelligent technologies to improve the construction quality and efficiency of special-shaped structural glass curtain walls, provide more possibilities for modern architectural design, and let glass, an ordinary material, show more unique artistic charm on special-shaped curtain walls.
